Last updated: 2026-08-07
What Differs Under the Name "Stem Cell Injection"
When looking into stem cell injections, look past the name and first distinguish the raw material from the component that is actually administered. Centrifuging a person's own blood yields platelet-rich components such as PRP or PRF, while separating cells from fat or bone marrow can produce cell-therapy preparations depending on the processing method. Exosomes released by cells are a separate secreted substance, not living cells themselves.
Autologous blood regenerative treatment centrifuges drawn blood and separates it into the needed layers. What comes out of this process is not always stem cells. PRP, which concentrates platelets; PRF, which combines platelets with a fibrin mesh; and preparations that isolate specific cell components all differ in both name and composition, so it's worth checking exactly what is being injected.
Platelets release growth factors such as PDGF, TGF-β, and VEGF. At the site of injury, these growth factors take part in cell-to-cell signaling, collagen synthesis, and the growth of new blood vessels, while fibrin forms the net-like scaffold that holds these substances in place. Injecting cells themselves and using the recovery signals released by platelets are therefore different treatments.
Exosomes are also a separate material. They are small delivery particles released by cells, containing proteins and fragments of genetic information, and they are not living cells. Culturing cells to increase their number and centrifuging blood to separate its components are also different procedures. Two things need to be asked together: what the material was extracted from, and what ultimately ends up going into the body.
Why the Process Is Structured as 8 Steps, From Diagnosis to Aftercare
The Wells' stem cell treatment is structured as an 8-step program. This means it is not simply an injection, but a process that starts with diagnosis and closes with aftercare.
People who consider this program include those with prolonged fatigue and slow recovery who want to check their overall body condition first, those who are using hair-loss medication and also want to improve their scalp condition, and those who have been receiving care for a symptom in which the neck turns to one side. Because each person's starting point differs, the first step is diagnosis, not the procedure itself.
First, a personalized diagnosis looks at overall health status together with any related conditions. Next, the patient's own blood is spun in a blood centrifuge to separate out the necessary components, which are then activated under a quality-control process. There are two ways to administer it. Intravenous administration, which targets the whole body, is the default for this program, while site-specific administration — such as the scalp or neck — requires separate preparation tailored to that site. The process then moves on to checking the immune environment and managing inflammatory load, addressing fatigue and pain as well as joint and skin condition at each step. The last three steps involve safety management, regular follow-up checks, and refining the plan based on domestic and international clinical research. The step-by-step structure and equipment are laid out on the Jamsil flagship clinic's stem cell treatment program page.
Diagnosis has to be specific. For intravenous administration, the values from the pre-treatment tests become the baseline for later comparison. For site-specific administration, the site itself is identified first. For a joint, the clinician distinguishes whether the pain originates inside the joint or starts in a tendon or ligament, then decides the site and timing of application.
For scalp application, the extent of hair thinning, redness/inflammation, oozing, and scratch wounds are examined first. If there is a problem, the underlying cause is treated, and the composition and depth of application are decided only after the skin has settled down. Once the wound has healed, the planned treatment proceeds.
After the procedure, swelling, warmth, and changes in pain are reassessed, along with joint movement or skin condition. If whole-body fatigue accompanies these symptoms, sleep and nutritional status, related conditions, and medications being taken are checked and connected to the necessary care.
This is also why aftercare is built into the 8 steps. For intravenous administration, the same test items measured at the start are remeasured using the same method to determine the interval to the next session. For the scalp, the timing of the next care session is set based on how the redness and wounds subside. Recording the basis for the chosen application site along with the response afterward makes it easier to decide whether to continue the same treatment or change the plan.
This Isn't a Treatment Used Only for Joints
Even with the same stem cells, the method differs depending on whether they're delivered into a blood vessel or used on the scalp, nerves/muscles, or joints. Because both the diagnostic approach and the actual substance applied differ by site, you need to look at where and what is used separately.
The intravenous route is the baseline for this course. Since it targets the whole body rather than a single site, progress is tracked by comparing values measured before the infusion with values measured again afterward. Unlike a treatment injected at a fixed site, the range of tests done before and after is broader, and the follow-up date is also set in advance.
The scalp is handled in the Head Reset Fit program. A Dermashine multi-injector delivers uniform injections into the scalp, and the clinician chooses from options such as placenta and Benev growth factor, stem cell peptides, or a combination of stem cells and exosomes, based on the diagnosis. Before starting, the scalp is checked for inflammation or open wounds; if there's a problem, the scalp is treated first before moving on to the injection stage.
Evidence for the scalp application is also building up. A 2023 meta-analysis pooled nine randomized controlled trials, evaluating how hair density, count, and thickness changed when platelet-rich plasma containing multiple growth factors was used for androgenetic alopecia (Zhang et al., 2023). A systematic review from the same year gathered studies that used various types of stem cells for androgenetic alopecia and compared outcomes including density (Krefft-Trzciniecka et al., 2023). That said, the materials used in these studies don't always match the options used on the scalp here, so which ingredient will actually be used needs to be confirmed during consultation.
Nerves and muscles are handled by the torticollis/dystonia program. Torticollis is a condition in which the neck turns or tilts to one side, and dystonia is a condition in which muscles contract involuntarily; the second of the nine steps in this course is stem cell/nerve regeneration treatment. The plan is set after examining neck movement, abnormal muscle contraction, pain, and nerve function.
This course doesn't use stem cells on their own. Restricted movement in the jaw joint and upper cervical spine is corrected with manual therapy first, and only then does the same course move on to stem cell/nerve regeneration treatment. If habits like jaw clenching or teeth grinding remain, the same strain returns to the neck muscles, so the stiff areas are released before moving to the next step.
Joints are an area where cell therapy research has built up relatively extensively. A 2023 domestic randomized clinical trial injected autologous adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells into the joints of patients with knee osteoarthritis and evaluated clinical efficacy and safety (Kim et al., 2023). A 2019 randomized controlled trial conducted abroad also examined the same cells for the same condition (Freitag et al., 2019). A 2025 paper reviewed preclinical research and limited clinical-stage data on injecting exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells for the same condition (Wang et al., 2025). The material used there was not the umbilical cord tissue-derived cells themselves, but exosomes derived from those cells.
Losing track of the source changes the interpretation. The studies above used material obtained from the patient's own fat or from umbilical cord tissue, so they can't be carried over as direct evidence for components isolated from blood, and their scope is also limited to knee osteoarthritis. Autologous blood, autologous fat cells, and umbilical cord-derived exosomes need to be read separately to see exactly what range each piece of evidence covers.
Why do the same stem cell injections vary from hospital to hospital?
The Wells uses components obtained by centrifuging the patient's own blood, activating them under quality-control procedures, and does not use cells obtained from another person's tissue.
Cost isn't set by the treatment name alone, either. It varies depending on whether blood separation is performed, the cell culture process, the number of treatment sites, and the planned number of sessions, and it's also affected by how much post-procedure testing, rehabilitation, and follow-up monitoring are included.
The evaluation items also differ depending on where the injection is given. For intravenous injection, the baseline test values measured beforehand serve as the standard. For the scalp, the extent of hair thinning and the condition of the skin are examined. If the symptom involves the neck turning to one side, range of motion and the pattern of muscle contraction are checked. For joints, the assessment isn't based on a single imaging scan alone — it also asks about the type and duration of previous treatments received, and how the pain differs between rest and movement.
The evaluation results are reflected directly in the treatment plan. Having baseline values measured beforehand gives something to compare against when deciding on the next session, and whether to change the initially set scope also comes out of that comparison. If there's a site with pronounced inflammation, that is addressed first, and the timing of the next application is then reset.
How Many Sessions Are Needed, and How Is the Interval Set?
The number of sessions isn't fixed in advance, with the body then made to fit that number. The values from the initial diagnosis and the results measured again at each session determine the next interval. That's why, even with the same treatment, the number of sessions and the spacing between them differ from person to person.
The schedule also isn't set to a fixed cycle like every week or every month. The initial plan is built from the diagnostic results, and at each session the same test given at the start is repeated using the same method so the values can be compared. Only when the before-and-after values come from matching conditions can a decision be made on whether to lengthen or shorten the interval.
What gets compared depends on where the treatment is given. For an intravenous administration, the test values measured before the infusion serve as the baseline. For the scalp, the timing of the next follow-up is set by watching how the redness and wound healing progress. For neck-turning symptoms, the range of motion and the pattern of muscle contraction are measured again, and for a joint, how the pain differs at rest versus during movement is checked as well.
The plan also accounts for the fact that this isn't a treatment that finishes in a single session. Because the initial test values and the records that follow need to stay in one place to give grounds for setting the next session, it's better for judgment to start somewhere progress can be tracked continuously under the same standard. If the records are broken off, there is nothing left to compare against when the next interval needs to be set.
How Is Safety Managed, and When Should You See a Doctor First?
Safety management begins the moment blood is drawn. The blood is separated and the necessary components prepared according to set quality-control procedures, then applied to the diagnosed area in the planned manner, after which adverse reactions and progress are checked regularly.
Even when the material comes from your own body, you should still ask about the contamination-prevention procedures used during collection and processing, as well as the route of application. You should also be told about the possibility of bleeding or infection at the treatment site and how the clinic would respond if that happened. If a clinic uses cells or secretions obtained from another person's tissue, you need to ask about their source and the manufacturing and testing process as well.
Stem cell interventions whose evidence has not been sufficiently confirmed have been identified as an international public health problem, not merely a matter of individual choice.(Master et al., 2021) In other words, the term "stem cell" or the fact that a substance is autologous (taken from your own body) does not by itself tell you the level of evidence or safety behind it. It helps to check the disease the research targeted and the source of the cells or components, and compare whether the treatment you are about to receive actually falls within that research's scope.
If the treated area stays red and hot, or if pus appears, check for infection first. If chills or fever also develop, don't wait — get a blood test and an examination of the area at a hospital. If infection is confirmed, identifying the causative organism and the state of inflammation takes priority over the regenerative treatment schedule; the necessary treatment is given based on those results, and the schedule is set again afterward.
Prompt medical care is also needed if pain of unknown cause worsens rapidly within a short time, or if an arm or leg suddenly loses strength. If sensation becomes dulled or walking becomes difficult, urgent causes such as nerve damage, infection, or fracture must be evaluated before any discussion of regenerative treatment. This is why safety management does not end on the day of the procedure — it continues from the stage of checking where the material comes from all the way through to responding to abnormal symptoms after treatment.
This content is provided for medical information purposes, and outcomes may vary depending on individual conditions. Consulting a specialist is important for an accurate diagnosis and treatment.
References
- Kim, Lee, Lee (2023). Clinical Efficacy and Safety of the Intra-articular Injection of Autologous Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Knee Osteoarthritis. The American Journal of Sports Medicine. PMID: 37345256
- Freitag, Bates, Wickham (2019). Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell therapy in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial. Regenerative Medicine. PMID: 30762487
- Wang, Kong, Du (2025). Injection of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells exosomes for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: from preclinical to clinical. Journal of Translational Medicine. PMID: 40500748
- Zhang, Ji, Zhou (2023). Platelet-Rich Plasma for Androgenetic Alopecia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery. PMID: 37533146
- Krefft-Trzciniecka, Piętowska, Nowicka (2023). Human Stem Cell Use in Androgenetic Alopecia: A Systematic Review. Cells. PMID: 36980291
- Master, Matthews, Abou-El-Enein (2021). Unproven stem cell interventions: A global public health problem requiring global deliberation. Stem Cell Reports. PMID: 34107243
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the difference between autologous blood stem cell injections and PRP/PRF?
PRP and PRF are methods that separate and use the platelet-rich layer from a patient's own blood, and they are generally distinct from live stem cell preparations. Rather than judging by the name alone, you should check whether the final product being applied is a platelet concentrate, a fibrin-containing component, or an actual cell preparation.
Q. How do autologous blood treatment and fat-, bone marrow-, and allogeneic-derived stem cell treatments differ?
Autologous blood treatment uses components separated from the patient's own blood, while fat- and bone marrow-derived treatments use cells or mixed components obtained from those tissues. Allogeneic treatment is derived from another person's tissue, so the source as well as the manufacturing and testing process must also be checked. Extracting fat or bone marrow is itself a separate procedure, whereas with blood, a simple blood draw is enough.
Q. What does each program — joint, scalp, and nerve regeneration — check before treatment?
For intravenous administration, the clinician checks the immune environment and inflammatory burden, fatigue and pain levels, and joint/skin condition before the infusion. For joints, the anatomical location of the pain and the inflammatory status come first; for the scalp, the hair loss pattern and any skin inflammation or wounds are checked first. Nerve and muscle symptoms require an accurate diagnosis and a review of prior treatment history, and the substance applied and the treatment site can differ depending on the assessment results for each area.
Q. When do redness, warmth, or pain after a procedure require medical attention?
Mild redness or pain can appear temporarily after a procedure, but if it worsens over time or comes with swelling, pus, or fever, you need to see a doctor. If sudden systemic symptoms occur—such as difficulty breathing, widespread hives, or a change in consciousness—you should get emergency evaluation right away.
Q. What order does The Wells follow for stem cell treatment?
The process starts with a personalized diagnosis that checks your health status and any related conditions. Your own blood is separated using a blood centrifuge and activated under quality-control procedures, then delivered intravenously or into a specific site such as the scalp or neck. After that, the process checks the immune environment and inflammation burden, and reviews fatigue, pain, and joint and skin condition together. Regular follow-up checks are also part of the process — all of this falls within an 8-step process.